第四十 (dì sì shí) — fortieth

Definition

Ordinal number meaning 'fortieth' (40th), formed from 第四 ('fourth') + 十 ('ten'). It is treated as one number word, not as '40' + measure word.

numeral
fortieth

Examples

  • 第四十。
    Zhè shì tā mǎi de dì sì shí běn shū.
    This is the fortieth book he bought.
  • 第四十。
    Tā kǎo shì dé le dì sì shí míng.
    He got fortieth place in the exam.
  • 第四十。
    Tā zuò zài dì sì shí pái.
    He sits in the fortieth row.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

第dìordinal
四十forty
四sìfour十shíten
偏正Modifier + head

第 adds ordinal meaning to the whole number 四十, not to 四 or 十 separately.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
弟
弟dì第dì
Same sound today

第 shows 𥫗, the bamboo strips once used for writing and sorting, with 弟 giving the sound.

Open 第 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

Open 四 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early shape 十 was mostly a single vertical stroke, sometimes with a dot, and later gained a horizontal stroke to form a cross. For the number ten, it marked the next digit above one.

Open 十 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.